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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 120 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: rash · bay · scale · tube · present · wound · branch · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. branch — a division
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wound — an injury
  5. scale — in music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wound — an injury
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. present — there
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rule — a law
  14. present — a gift
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. present — the time now
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. tube — a container
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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