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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — a trail
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. file — a line of people
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. file — a tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitch — completely
  12. file — a document
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. saw — the tool
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. prune — to trim

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