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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ground — the earth
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ground — crushed
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. branch — a division
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wax — to grow
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — a position
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. present — there
  24. wax — for sculpting

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