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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: fork · ruler · rush · mine · suit · branch · chair · mug

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mug — a face
  4. rush — hurry
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mug — to rob
  12. suit — to fit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fork — in a road
  23. branch — a division
  24. mine — belonging to me

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