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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. band — a music group
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rule — a law
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. band — a ring
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — government
  19. branch — a division
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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