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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pop — to visit
  13. kick — in football
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. tube — a container
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rash — hasty
  18. tube — the underground
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pop — music
  22. rash — a series
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pop — soda

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