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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · season · scale · hide · bark · root · kick · branch

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. kick — in football
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. season — in sport
  19. branch — a division
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rule — a law
  24. root — of a word

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