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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bank — for money
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rash — a series
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rule — a law
  15. file — a tool
  16. rule — government
  17. root — the cause
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bank — of a river
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. branch — a division
  23. file — a document
  24. root — of a word

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