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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: mine · row · stand · mug · ruler · shower · branch · saw

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. row — a line
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mug — a face
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mug — a cup
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. shower — rain
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. saw — the tool
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mine — for digging
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mug — to rob

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