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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chest — a box
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. root — of a word
  8. branch — a division
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chest — of your body
  24. perch — the fish

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