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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. last — finally
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wax — to grow
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. last — to go on
  6. pop — soda
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. bank — for money
  10. pop — music
  11. spring — the season
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. net — in sport
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. last — final
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — a law
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rule — government
  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