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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rule — a law
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. net — in sport
  11. spell — letters
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. shower — to wash
  15. club — a group
  16. last — finally
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lean — thin
  20. rule — government
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. club — for golf

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