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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rule — a law
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rule — government
  9. tear — from crying
  10. branch — a division
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. swing — music
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — to confront

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