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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rule — government
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bank — of a river
  6. present — there
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wake — a trail
  9. spring — the season
  10. bank — for money
  11. rule — a law
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. spring — a coil
  15. land — ground
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — a friend
  19. land — a country
  20. present — a gift
  21. land — to come down
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. spring — of water
  24. lie — an untruth

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