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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 120 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: suit · staff · branch · mate · chest · rule · spring · saw

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rule — a law
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rule — government
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mate — a friend
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. branch — a division
  14. staff — employees
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. suit — to fit
  18. staff — employees
  19. spring — of water
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chest — of your body
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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