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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: mug · rule · object · branch · bank · chest · sharp · stem

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rule — government
  7. stem — to come from
  8. object — an aim
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. chest — of your body
  12. object — to protest
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. chest — a box
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. object — a thing
  18. chest — of your body
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rule — a law

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