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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: rule · prune · chair · lie · branch · tear · cabinet · jam

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rule — government
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. branch — a division
  13. tear — from crying
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. tear — to rip

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