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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. branch — a division
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mate — a friend
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rule — government
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stand — to bear
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lean — to rest against

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