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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. degree — temperature
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. branch — a division
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rule — a law
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  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