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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. branch — a division
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. last — finally
  11. perch — the fish
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. band — a ring
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. band — a music group
  21. last — final
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. last — to go on

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