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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rule — government
  3. branch — a division
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. scale — size or range
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. snap — to click
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. scale — in music
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. track — a song
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rule — a law

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