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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. club — for golf
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rule — government
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cell — in biology
  14. branch — a division
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. tube — a container
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. club — a group
  24. bound — tied together

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