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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: shower · rule · last · branch · bear · tube · ruler · bark

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. tube — the underground
  3. branch — a division
  4. shower — rain
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. last — final
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bark — to shout
  14. tube — a container
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. last — finally
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. last — to go on
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. ruler — a monarch

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