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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · tear · charge · ruler · kid · branch · stick · bat

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tear — from crying
  3. charge — electricity
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — in control
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wind — moving air
  15. tear — to rip
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. charge — a price
  18. kid — child
  19. tear — from crying
  20. kid — to tease
  21. branch — a division
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wind — moving air

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