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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — a division
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. perch — the fish
  5. board — to get on
  6. shower — rain
  7. wax — to grow
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. board — a committee
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wax — for sculpting

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