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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · hand · saw · mate · rest · racket · rule · branch

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. tube — a container
  6. rule — government
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. branch — a division
  10. mate — a partner
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rest — a break
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — to breed
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rule — a law
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mate — a friend
  24. saw — the tool

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