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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bank — for money
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. rest — a break
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rest — what's left
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. object — to protest
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — the month
  18. rule — government
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. object — a thing
  21. bank — of a river
  22. object — an aim
  23. rest — what's left
  24. squash — to crush

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