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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: hand · lean · rule · suit · branch · wound · bark · foot

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. suit — in cards
  4. branch — a division
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hand — in cards
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. lean — to bend
  19. hand — help
  20. rule — government
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lean — thin
  24. rule — a law

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