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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: ball · branch · stand · squash · rest · bear · ruler · kick

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rest — what's left
  7. branch — a division
  8. kick — in football
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stand — to bear
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rest — a break
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. branch — of a bank

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