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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 120 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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Word bank
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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. content — happy
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. branch — a division
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. present — a gift
  18. content — the amount
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fine — all right
  21. squash — the sport
  22. present — there
  23. wind — moving air
  24. present — the time now

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