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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — government
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pop — soda
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bank — for money
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rule — a law
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pop — music
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rash — a series
  24. mark — a grade

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