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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fall — the season
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rock — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cell — in biology
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. branch — a division

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