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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 116 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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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 · cell · suit · cap · tear · fine · rash

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tear — to rip
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rash — hasty
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cap — of ice
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rule — government
  14. rash — a series
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fine — all right
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rule — a law
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. fine — high quality
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. tear — from crying

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