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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. rule — government
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lean — thin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bank — for money
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rule — a law
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. can — a tin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lean — to bend
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bank — of a river
  21. tube — a container
  22. game — a match
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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