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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: game · trunk · rule · mouse · date · bound · branch · rush

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — government
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bound — tied together
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. branch — a division
  14. game — wild animals
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bound — certain
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rule — a law
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. game — a match
  24. trunk — of a tree

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