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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · rock · shower · bank · hide · branch · ruler · field

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. field — for sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. field — a subject
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. field — farmland
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bank — for money
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rock — a stone
  22. branch — a division
  23. shower — rain
  24. wound — an injury

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