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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: branch · cabinet · fan · foot · kick · rule · bound · rock

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rule — government
  6. rock — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — a division
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. kick — in football
  17. bound — tied together
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rule — a law
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. foot — a measure
  24. branch — of a tree

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