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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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. clip — for paper
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. band — a ring
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. chip — for betting
  10. clip — a video
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. charge — a price
  16. band — a music group
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chip — to eat
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. branch — a division
  24. charge — in control

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