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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: branch · ground · rush · rash · degree · rule · present · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. degree — from a university
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rule — government
  6. ground — a position
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rule — a law
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rush — hurry
  17. present — the time now
  18. degree — an amount
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. rash — hasty
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rash — a series

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