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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. rule — government
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rule — a law
  10. bank — for money
  11. can — a tin
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cold — not warm
  20. can — a tin
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bank — for money
  24. prune — to trim

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