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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 · stick · coach · snap · net · branch · toast · can

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. toast — bread
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. net — for catching
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — to be able to
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rule — a law
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. net — in sport
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. can — a tin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rule — government
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. branch — a division
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — after costs
  23. snap — to click
  24. toast — the most admired

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