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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bank — for money
  6. last — to go on
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bank — of a river
  12. root — of a word
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rule — government
  15. hand — help
  16. suit — to fit
  17. root — the cause
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rule — a law
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. last — finally
  23. root — of a plant
  24. last — final

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