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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. tube — a container
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. shower — to wash
  5. game — a match
  6. present — the time now
  7. tube — the underground
  8. squash — to crush
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. shower — rain
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. present — there
  17. squash — the sport
  18. branch — a division
  19. rule — government
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. game — wild animals
  24. present — a gift

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