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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: rule · kid · toast · fork · mine · rush · branch · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. rule — a law
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. toast — bread
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kid — child
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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