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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. drill — army training
  3. branch — a division
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. prune — to trim
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. can — a tin
  16. drill — the tool
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. can — to be able to
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. drill — a practice
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — to trim

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