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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 116 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: land · stand · rule · rush · branch · hand · present · tube

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stand — to bear
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rush — hurry
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. present — there
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tube — a container
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. present — the time now
  15. land — to come down
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hand — help
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. present — a gift

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