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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: scale · can · press · branch · board · rule · hide · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. can — a tin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. press — to push
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — to get on
  12. press — a publisher
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rule — government
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. can — a tin
  19. board — a committee
  20. can — to be able to
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. scale — size or range

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