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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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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: leaves · present · hand · rush · roll · branch · rock · rule

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. present — there
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. present — the time now
  9. roll — a list
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. present — a gift
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rule — government
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rule — a law
  16. rush — hurry
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. branch — a division
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rock — music
  24. hand — help

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