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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
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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 · foot · fan · fall · plane · pop · cold

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — an illness
  7. rule — a law
  8. branch — a division
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. pop — music
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pop — soda
  22. fall — the season
  23. foot — a measure
  24. branch — of a tree

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