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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cold — an illness
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rule — a law
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. branch — a division
  11. cold — not warm
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. prune — to trim
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. can — a tin
  19. hand — in cards
  20. can — a tin
  21. staff — employees
  22. hand — help
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. can — to be able to

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