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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rule — a law
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cue — a hint
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cue — for pool
  11. land — a country
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cue — a signal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. land — to come down
  17. rule — government
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bear — the animal
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bear — the animal
  22. land — ground
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rule — to rule out

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