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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bank — for money
  5. rule — government
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. key — in music
  9. firm — steady
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rule — a law
  13. bank — of a river
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. key — for a lock
  17. firm — decided
  18. tear — to rip
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bank — for money
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. firm — a company

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