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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 · sharp · band · lie · rule · squash · present · can

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. present — there
  3. can — to be able to
  4. branch — a division
  5. squash — the sport
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. sharp — clever
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. band — a ring
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rule — a law
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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