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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. branch — a division
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pitch — a sports field

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