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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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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: club · lash · mark · branch · rule · ruler · mine · chair

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. club — for golf
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. branch — a division
  7. club — a group
  8. rule — a law
  9. mark — a grade
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rule — government
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. club — for dancing

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