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

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. branch — a division
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rule — a law
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. row — to paddle
  14. march — the month
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. row — a line
  17. season — of the year
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. rule — government
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. season — in sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. branch — of a bank

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