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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. swing — in golf
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. file — a line of people
  6. march — the month
  7. last — finally
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. file — a document
  13. last — final
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. last — to go on
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. swing — to play on
  19. file — a tool
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. swing — music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com