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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: ruler · game · spell · branch · bark · hide · pop · calf

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. spell — a short time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. spell — magic
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. spell — letters
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. game — a match
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. game — wild animals
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. bark — to shout
  24. game — a kind of play

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