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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 · fan · key · branch · rock · pound · spell · tear

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. spell — magic
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rock — music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. key — in music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. spell — letters
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tear — to rip

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