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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · rule · spell · branch · wake · hide · land · row

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. land — to come down
  4. rule — a law
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. spell — letters
  7. row — a line
  8. wake — a trail
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. root — the cause
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. spell — magic
  15. root — of a word
  16. row — to paddle
  17. branch — a division
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. land — ground
  22. root — of a plant
  23. land — a country
  24. hide — to keep secret

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