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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. staff — employees
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. sharp — clever
  8. staff — employees
  9. branch — a division
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. staff — a stick
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. suit — to fit
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chair — a leader
  24. sharp — with an edge

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