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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: ruler · mate · rash · spring · bore · row · pop · branch

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rash — a series
  10. pop — music
  11. branch — a division
  12. pop — soda
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mate — to breed
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. spring — of water
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. spring — a coil
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. mate — a partner
  24. branch — of a tree

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