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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rule — a law
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rash — a series
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rule — government
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. chip — for betting

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