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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rule — a law
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tube — a container
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stem — to come from
  14. sharp — clever
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. shower — rain
  21. branch — a division
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mark — a grade

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