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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ground — a position
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ground — crushed
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. game — a match
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rash — a series
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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