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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.

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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: suit · rule · rush · press · branch · lie · vault · last

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. last — final
  6. suit — to fit
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. vault — a safe
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. press — a publisher
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. suit — clothes
  17. press — to push
  18. rush — hurry
  19. last — to go on
  20. rule — a law
  21. branch — a division
  22. last — finally
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. branch — of a tree

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