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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: rash · branch · pass · face · pitcher · fan · hand · rule

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rash — a series
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rash — hasty
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rule — government
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rule — a law
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. hand — help
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pass — to succeed

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