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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bank — of a river
  4. firm — a company
  5. rule — a law
  6. chip — to eat
  7. staff — employees
  8. clip — to cut
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. firm — steady
  16. clip — for paper
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. clip — a video
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rule — government
  22. bank — for money
  23. lean — thin
  24. rule — to rule out

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