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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: snap · cabinet · ruler · stick · branch · pound · toast · rule

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. branch — a division
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rule — government
  11. toast — bread
  12. rule — a law
  13. snap — to click
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ruler — for measuring

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