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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bank — for money
  4. rule — a law
  5. bore — to tire
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. board — to get on
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bank — for money
  17. board — a committee
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. hand — help
  20. rule — government
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bore — to drill
  23. roll — a list
  24. bank — of a river

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