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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chest — a box
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fork — in a road
  11. snap — to click
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. branch — a division
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. chest — of your body

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