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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: bass · cell · foot · snap · branch · patient · rule · suit

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. suit — to fit
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. branch — a division
  5. rule — government
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rule — a law
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bass — low music
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. snap — to click
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. suit — clothes
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bass — the fish
  24. branch — of a bank

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