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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. object — a thing
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. squash — the sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. branch — a division
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. object — an aim
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. wake — a trail
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. object — to protest
  20. swing — in golf
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. branch — of a bank

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