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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. row — a line
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bass — low music
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. branch — a division
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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