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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: bat · branch · face · spring · hand · bowl · rush · ruler

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — to confront
  11. spring — a coil
  12. branch — a division
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rush — hurry
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. spring — of water
  18. hand — help
  19. bat — the animal
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. face — part of the head
  22. spring — the season
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. face — to point toward

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