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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · can · rest · rock · capital · branch · drill · spring

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. capital — a city
  5. rest — a break
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rock — music
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. drill — the tool
  11. capital — money
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. can — a tin
  14. rock — a stone
  15. drill — a practice
  16. spring — the season
  17. can — to be able to
  18. drill — army training
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. can — a tin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. capital — a big letter

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