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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kick — in football
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rash — hasty
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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