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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. prune — to trim
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. spring — of water
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mug — a face
  8. bound — certain
  9. spring — the season
  10. mug — a cup
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spring — a coil
  14. kid — child
  15. rule — a law
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bound — tied together
  19. kid — to tease
  20. rule — government
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mug — to rob
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bound — obliged

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