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

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rule — government
  3. last — finally
  4. bank — for money
  5. rule — a law
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stock — shares
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fall — the season
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — goods

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