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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pop — soda
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bank — for money
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. last — finally
  11. mug — a face
  12. last — to go on
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rule — a law
  19. last — final
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bank — for money
  24. bat — the animal

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