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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fall — to drop
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rule — a law
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. fall — the season
  17. scale — size or range
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stand — to bear
  20. branch — a division
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rule — government
  24. scale — in music

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