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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: mouse · bark · branch · spell · rush · shower · lean · ruler

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. spell — magic
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. shower — rain
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spell — letters
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. spell — a short time

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