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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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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: cue · stem · band · fan · row · rule · rush · branch

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. row — to paddle
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rule — government
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rule — a law
  9. cue — for pool
  10. band — a music group
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — a signal
  16. branch — a division
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stem — to come from
  20. row — a line
  21. band — a ring
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rule — to rule out

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