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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. board — to get on
  3. fine — all right
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stem — to come from
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. board — a committee
  9. snap — to click
  10. staff — employees
  11. fine — high quality
  12. branch — a division
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. staff — employees
  15. pass — a permit
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rule — a law
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rule — government

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