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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hand — help
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. file — a line of people
  7. branch — a division
  8. land — ground
  9. file — a tool
  10. land — a country
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. vault — a safe
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rule — a law
  20. file — a document
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rule — government

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