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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. content — happy
  7. rule — government
  8. bank — for money
  9. drill — army training
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mug — to rob
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. leaves — lets stay

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