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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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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: row · stand · tube · branch · bay · mouse · trunk · rule

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. branch — a division
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. row — a line
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. tube — a container

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