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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — an illness
  7. branch — a division
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tube — the underground
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. staff — employees
  17. tube — a container
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. row — a line
  24. fine — all right

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