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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: rush · season · leaves · face · spring · branch · ruler · drill

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. drill — army training
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. spring — of water
  7. rush — hurry
  8. season — in sport
  9. face — to point toward
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. drill — the tool
  12. face — to confront
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. face — part of the head
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. spring — the season
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. spring — a coil
  21. branch — a division
  22. drill — a practice
  23. season — of the year
  24. branch — of a bank

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