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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bear — the animal
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. file — a document
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. board — a committee
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. scale — in music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. file — a tool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — to get on
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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