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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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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. object — to protest
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bank — of a river
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. object — a thing
  14. root — of a word
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. object — an aim
  18. rule — to rule out

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