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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 · pass · mine · wake · branch · key · rush

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — a permit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mine — for digging
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wake — a trail
  15. key — in music
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wake — before a funeral

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