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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: row · branch · stand · rule · dip · face · staff · pop

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. staff — employees
  3. branch — a division
  4. face — part of the head
  5. staff — employees
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rule — a law
  9. row — to paddle
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pop — soda
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. row — a line
  14. face — to point toward
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. dip — to sink
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rule — government
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pop — music
  21. face — to confront
  22. staff — a stick
  23. pop — to visit
  24. dip — to dunk

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