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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. season — of the year
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pop — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rule — a law
  17. rock — music
  18. plane — a tool
  19. season — in sport
  20. rock — a stone
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rush — to hurry

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