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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. band — a ring
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fine — high quality
  9. kid — child
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. rock — music
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rock — a stone
  17. branch — a division
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. kid — to tease
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. band — a music group

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