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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: saw · branch · shower · stock · tear · staff · dip · ruler

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. shower — to wash
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. branch — a division
  10. stock — shares
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. shower — rain
  15. tear — to rip
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. stock — goods
  18. staff — employees
  19. dip — to sink
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — a soup base

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