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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. spring — the season
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. spring — of water
  9. craft — boats
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. band — a music group
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. craft — a skill
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. band — a ring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spring — a coil
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wound — an injury

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