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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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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: kid · toast · object · drill · branch · ruler · perch · patient

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. object — to protest
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. object — a thing
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. drill — army training
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. perch — the fish
  12. drill — a practice
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — the tool
  17. object — an aim
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. branch — a division
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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