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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 116 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: rest · field · calf · ruler · branch · row · mine · mouse

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rest — a break
  4. field — farmland
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rest — what's left
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. field — for sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. field — a subject
  24. row — a line

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