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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rush — hurry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. present — there
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. present — a gift
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bark — to shout
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. branch — a division
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. present — the time now
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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