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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. club — a group
  5. root — the cause
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. root — of a word
  10. club — for golf
  11. face — to confront
  12. branch — a division
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. face — to point toward
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rule — government
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. root — of a plant
  23. spring — the season
  24. cap — a lid

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