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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rash — a series
  9. stock — goods
  10. spring — the season
  11. stock — shares
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. spring — of water
  16. rule — government
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rule — a law
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bank — for money

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