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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · rule · branch · chair · bay · hand · toast · rush

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rule — a law
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. branch — a division
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rule — government
  15. toast — bread
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. hand — help
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. branch — of a bank

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