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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: rule · bark · land · temple · snap · branch · can · cue

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. can — a tin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rule — government
  7. land — ground
  8. cue — for pool
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. branch — a division
  15. cue — a hint
  16. can — to be able to
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. snap — to click
  22. bark — to shout
  23. land — a country
  24. branch — of a bank

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