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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: bowl · march · prune · calf · rule · branch · ruler · leaves

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rule — government
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. branch — a division
  11. march — the month
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rule — a law
  14. march — music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. march — the month
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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