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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rule — government
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. roll — a list
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. tube — the underground
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. roll — a cake
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. branch — a division
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. board — to get on
  22. tube — a container
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rule — a law

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