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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rock — a stone
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. band — a ring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fall — the season
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rock — music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — of a tree
  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