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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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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ground — a position
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pit — in a race
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ground — the earth
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — for digging
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — a division
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. saw — the tool
  24. branch — of a bank

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