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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. branch — a division
  5. stock — goods
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mate — a partner
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. content — happy
  17. mate — a friend
  18. content — the amount
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rule — a law
  21. stock — shares
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rule — government
  24. rush — hurry

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