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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. date — the fruit
  3. march — the month
  4. branch — a division
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bark — to shout
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. march — music

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