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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. spell — letters
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. object — to protest
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rock — music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spell — magic
  19. rule — government
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rock — a stone
  22. object — a thing
  23. rule — a law
  24. leaves — to go away

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