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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 116 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ground — a position
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. branch — a division
  9. prune — to trim
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wound — an injury
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. ground — the earth
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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