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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 120 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
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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: pound · present · tube · rush · branch · capital · wound · rule

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. present — a gift
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. present — the time now
  7. capital — money
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rule — a law
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. present — there
  12. tube — a container
  13. wound — an injury
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rule — government
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rush — hurry
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pound — a weight
  22. capital — a city
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rush — a thrill

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