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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · fan · spell · stand · degree · lash · clip · rule

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. spell — magic
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rule — a law
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. degree — from a university
  17. clip — for paper
  18. spell — letters
  19. branch — a division
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rule — government
  24. stand — to bear

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