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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. present — there
  4. rule — government
  5. bank — for money
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. present — the time now
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. firm — decided
  14. bank — of a river
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rule — a law
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. present — a gift
  20. firm — steady
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. plane — a tool
  23. firm — a company
  24. straw — dry grass

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