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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rule — government
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bank — for money
  6. rule — a law
  7. row — a line
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bank — of a river
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. staff — employees
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. staff — employees
  14. mark — a trace
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. snap — to click
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bank — for money
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. row — to paddle

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