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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rule — government
  3. chest — a box
  4. bass — low music
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bank — for money
  10. cap — a lid
  11. capital — a city
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rule — a law
  19. capital — money
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cap — of ice

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