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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. branch — a division
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rule — government
  5. snap — to click
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stem — to come from
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fall — to drop
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rule — a law
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fall — to drop
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fall — the season
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. saw — the tool
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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