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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rule — government
  7. rock — a stone
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rule — a law
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rock — music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cell — a phone
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cell — in biology

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