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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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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: track · land · branch · degree · nail · arm · lie · rule

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rule — government
  3. track — a path
  4. degree — temperature
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. degree — from a university
  8. lie — to recline
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. land — to come down
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rule — a law
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. land — ground
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rule — to rule out

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