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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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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: spell · spring · sharp · wake · ruler · cabinet · perch · branch

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. branch — a division
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — letters
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spell — magic
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. branch — of a tree

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