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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bank — of a river
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rule — a law
  8. bank — for money
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. row — a line
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bank — for money
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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