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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: rule · branch · kick · object · mug · spring · rush · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rule — government
  3. object — a thing
  4. spring — a coil
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. object — an aim
  8. kick — in football
  9. object — to protest
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spring — the season
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rule — a law
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spring — of water
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. branch — a division
  24. mug — a face

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