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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · lie · rash · branch · ruler · chair · march · bore

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. chair — a leader
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — a series
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bore — to tire
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. march — the month
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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