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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. prune — to trim
  5. shower — rain
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wound — an injury
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bound — tied together
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. branch — a division
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. kick — in football
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — certain
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. prune — to trim

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