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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: branch · march · tube · ruler · cabinet · spring

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spring — the season
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. march — the month
  7. spring — a coil
  8. tube — a container
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — a division
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. spring — of water
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cabinet — ministers

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