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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. branch — a division
  6. band — a ring
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — government
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rule — a law
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mark — a grade
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mate — a partner
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. band — a music group
  24. rule — to rule out

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