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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 124 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. band — a ring
  12. scale — in music
  13. shower — to wash
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. shower — rain
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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