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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: branch · rock · rule · band · pass · chest · ruler · wind

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. chest — of your body
  3. band — a music group
  4. chest — a box
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rock — music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rule — government
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. band — a ring
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. branch — a division
  24. rock — a stone

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