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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 120 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: can · ruler · spring · hide · branch · lie · band · bass

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. spring — a coil
  4. band — a ring
  5. can — a tin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — low music
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spring — the season
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. can — a tin
  12. spring — of water
  13. can — to be able to
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. band — a music group
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lie — to recline
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. hide — to keep secret

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