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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: hide · branch · ruler · date · deal · rush · spring · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spring — a coil
  5. branch — a division
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. date — the fruit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wound — an injury
  12. spring — of water
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wound — an injury
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. spring — the season
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. deal — to handle
  24. hide — animal skin

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