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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pass — a permit
  5. can — a tin
  6. rule — a law
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. swing — to play on
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. last — to go on
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. swing — music
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — a division
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. last — final
  23. swing — in golf
  24. last — finally

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