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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: rule · sharp · bass · branch · can · tear · saw · march

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — the fish
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. tear — to rip
  7. sharp — clever
  8. can — to be able to
  9. march — the month
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. saw — the tool
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rule — a law
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. bass — low music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. can — a tin
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. saw — the tool

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