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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: cabinet · degree · can · snap · rule · branch · bear · ground

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. can — a tin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rule — a law
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. branch — a division
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — a position
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — to be able to
  21. snap — to click
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bear — the animal

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