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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · stick · chest · charge · rule · branch

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. 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. rest — what's left
  3. rule — a law
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rest — a break
  8. chest — a box
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — in control
  17. branch — a division
  18. 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