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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. rule — government
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. court — of law
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — for sport
  9. rule — a law
  10. branch — a division
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. court — of a king
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. branch — of a bank
  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