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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chest — of your body
  3. net — after costs
  4. deal — to handle
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chest — of your body
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. net — in sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. net — for catching
  17. chest — a box
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. branch — a division
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. hide — to keep secret

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