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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pound — a weight
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stand — to bear
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — the season
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. spring — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wound — an injury
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. hide — animal skin

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