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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.

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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: clip · rock · branch · wind · rule · object · mouse · fine

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. fine — all right
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. clip — for paper
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rule — government
  10. clip — to cut
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — a law
  20. fine — high quality
  21. object — an aim
  22. rock — music
  23. clip — a video
  24. object — to protest

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