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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rule — government
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fall — to drop
  6. branch — a division
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fall — the season
  14. root — of a word
  15. mug — a face
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. root — the cause
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rule — a law
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cabinet — ministers

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