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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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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 · season · bear · ruler · branch · shower · bay · swing

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. kid — to tease
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. swing — music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. kid — child
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. shower — to wash
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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