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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rule — government
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lean — to bend
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — thin
  13. rule — a law
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. branch — a division
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kick — in football
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. kick — a thrill

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