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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pop — to visit
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bass — low music
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pop — soda
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. row — a line
  19. pop — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cold — not warm
  24. patient — a sick person

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