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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.

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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: cabinet · march · branch · rest · wave · trunk · ruler · tear

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. tear — to rip
  6. march — music
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rest — what's left
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. tear — from crying
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — the month
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. branch — a division
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rest — a break

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