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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. chip — to eat
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rule — a law
  7. court — of law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rash — a series
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bank — for money
  19. snap — to click
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — for betting
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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