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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: rash · fall · fine · rock · branch · bear · bank · rule

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bear — the animal
  3. branch — a division
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bank — for money
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rash — a series
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bank — for money
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fall — the season
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rule — a law
  22. fine — all right
  23. rule — government
  24. rash — on the skin

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