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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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pound — a weight
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. branch — a division
  12. saw — the tool
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. drill — army training
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fan — a supporter

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