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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. stock — goods
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. branch — a division
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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