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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: chest · pass · bear · rule · branch · stick · squash · bay

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chest — a box
  16. squash — to crush
  17. branch — a division
  18. rule — a law
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rule — government
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. squash — the vegetable

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