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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: safe · branch · rule · pit · tube · spell · rash · current

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tube — a container
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spell — letters
  5. rash — a series
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. branch — a division
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pit — in a race
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spell — magic
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. current — of water
  15. rule — a law
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. current — electric
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rule — government
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. current — happening now
  24. branch — of a tree

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