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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.

Make a worksheet

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: branch · date · rush · rest · arm · squash · bass · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rest — a break
  7. squash — to crush
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bass — the fish
  13. branch — a division
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rest — what's left
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rule — a law
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rush — hurry
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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