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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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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: cabinet · arm · key · charge · tear · rock · branch · ruler

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. charge — in control
  6. branch — a division
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. tear — from crying
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. charge — a price
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rock — music
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. key — for a lock

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