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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: can · bowl · branch · cabinet · rule · mate · squash · rush

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mate — to breed
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rule — a law
  15. mate — a partner
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. branch — a division
  22. can — a tin
  23. rule — government
  24. can — a tin

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