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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: branch · rest · prune · dip · pass · drill · board · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rest — a break
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. board — a committee
  7. drill — army training
  8. branch — a division
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pass — a permit
  14. board — to get on
  15. rest — what's left
  16. prune — to trim
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rule — a law
  19. rest — what's left
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. prune — to trim
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. board — a flat piece

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