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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bank — for money
  3. net — in sport
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rule — a law
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mug — a face
  13. band — a music group
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mug — to rob
  16. band — a ring
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. rush — hurry
  21. object — an aim
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rush — a thrill

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