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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.

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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: deal · branch · bound · staff · calf · stand · bat · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. branch — a division
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rule — a law
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bound — obliged
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stand — to bear
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bound — certain
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. staff — employees

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