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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. dip — to sink
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bore — to drill
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bore — to tire

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