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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. present — there
  4. branch — a division
  5. present — the time now
  6. swing — music
  7. lean — thin
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. shower — rain
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. swing — in golf
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. present — a gift
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. shower — to wash

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