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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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Word bank
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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: wound · foot · rash · staff · mug · ruler · branch · prune

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. staff — a stick
  7. branch — a division
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mug — to rob
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. foot — a measure
  16. staff — employees
  17. prune — to trim
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. staff — employees
  21. prune — to trim
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ruler — for measuring

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