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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: pass · straw · bear · branch · mug · rule

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. 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. pass — to spend time
  2. branch — a division
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bear — the animal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rule — government
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. 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