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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ground — a position
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. tube — a container
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ground — crushed
  13. branch — a division
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ground — the earth
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rule — government
  19. ball — a dance
  20. tube — the underground
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — a trail
  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