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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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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: dip · last · branch · spring · bay · straw · wound · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spring — of water
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wound — an injury
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. dip — to sink
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spring — a coil
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spring — the season
  19. last — final
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. branch — a division
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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