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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 116 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: bay · perch · ruler · bound · cap · root · branch · clip

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. perch — the fish
  3. clip — to cut
  4. root — of a word
  5. bound — certain
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. clip — a video
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bound — tied together
  15. branch — a division
  16. cap — a hat
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bound — obliged
  19. root — the cause
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. root — of a plant
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. perch — for a bird

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