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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chip — to eat
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bound — certain
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bank — for money
  14. fine — all right
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rule — government
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. bound — obliged

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