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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 116 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: pass · rule · wave · saw · content · cold · mug · branch

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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 — a face
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. content — the amount
  4. rule — government
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. content — happy
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cold — not warm
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cold — an illness
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. branch — a division
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mug — to rob
  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