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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. branch — a division
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. roll — a list
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spring — of water
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. roll — a cake
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spring — a coil
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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