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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. hand — help
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fine — all right
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rule — a law
  12. firm — a company
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — high quality
  17. firm — decided
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. firm — steady
  21. bank — for money
  22. rule — government
  23. kid — child
  24. rush — hurry

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