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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bank — for money
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bass — low music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bank — for money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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