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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: pass · spell · branch · rule · date · game · shower · press

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rule — a law
  6. press — newspapers
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. press — to push
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. shower — rain
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. date — the fruit
  14. press — a publisher
  15. game — a match
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rule — government
  18. spell — a short time
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. shower — to wash
  24. spell — letters

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