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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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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: branch · ruler · object · rest · march · trunk · race · lean

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. object — a thing
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. race — the arms race
  10. march — the month
  11. object — an aim
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rest — a break
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. race — humankind
  17. march — the month
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. branch — a division
  21. march — music
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. race — a contest
  24. ruler — for measuring

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