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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.

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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: key · march · tear · lash · firm · ruler · staff · branch

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — a division
  5. march — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tear — from crying
  8. march — the month
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. firm — a company
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. march — the month
  22. staff — employees
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ruler — a monarch

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