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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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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: saw · rule · rush · branch · press · court · rock · bank

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rule — government
  3. bank — for money
  4. court — of a king
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bank — of a river
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rule — a law
  11. rock — music
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. court — of law
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bank — for money
  18. rush — hurry
  19. court — for sport
  20. branch — a division
  21. saw — the tool
  22. press — to push
  23. saw — the tool
  24. press — a publisher

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