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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. hand — help
  3. branch — a division
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. press — newspapers
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. row — to paddle
  8. hand — in cards
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. saw — the tool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. row — a line
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. press — to push
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. press — a publisher

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