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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. spring — of water
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spring — a coil
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. branch — a division
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. shower — to wash
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. shower — rain
  18. spring — the season
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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