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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · cell · pound · straw · ruler · foot

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cell — a phone
  7. branch — a division
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pound — a weight
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. foot — a measure
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cell — in a prison

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