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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rash — a series
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — of a king
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rule — government
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rule — a law
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stem — of a plant

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