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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rule — government
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bank — for money
  5. current — happening now
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mark — a grade
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — of water
  12. pop — to visit
  13. face — to confront
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pop — soda
  17. rule — a law
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. current — electric
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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