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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: branch · rash · bat · rule · stem · ball · pass · wind

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. branch — a division
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rule — government
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rule — a law
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. branch — 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