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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: rule · wake · branch · lean · club · suit · shower · roll

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. club — for dancing
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. club — a group
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lean — to bend
  9. branch — a division
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. club — for golf
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. roll — a list
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. lean — thin
  21. roll — a cake
  22. shower — rain
  23. wake — a trail
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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