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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: rash · rule · temple · mug · snap · branch · wound · foot

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rash — hasty
  5. snap — to click
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wound — an injury
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rule — government
  12. branch — a division
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mug — a face
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rule — a law
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rash — a series
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wound — an injury

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