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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mate — to breed
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rash — a series
  5. branch — a division
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rule — a law
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rule — government
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mate — a friend
  15. spring — of water
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rash — hasty
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. ground — a position
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. ground — crushed

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