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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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. pound — to hit hard
  4. file — a tool
  5. kid — to tease
  6. last — finally
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rule — government
  10. file — a document
  11. kid — child
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. file — a line of people
  14. branch — a division
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. last — to go on
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rule — a law
  22. last — final
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rash — hasty

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