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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. scale — size or range
  3. shower — to wash
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. scale — in music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. branch — a division
  13. fall — the season
  14. rock — music
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. shower — rain
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rock — a stone
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fall — to drop
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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