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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: rush · bulb · fall · face · branch · club · rule · can

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. can — a tin
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rule — government
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — the season
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. club — for golf
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fall — to drop
  14. club — a group
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fall — to drop
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bulb — for light
  21. branch — a division
  22. face — to confront
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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