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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rush — hurry
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rule — government
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fall — to drop
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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