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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bank — for money
  4. rule — government
  5. cold — an illness
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. present — there
  9. band — a music group
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — the time now
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. band — a ring
  15. lean — thin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rule — a law
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — a gift

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