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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rule — government
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rule — a law
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. game — a match
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bank — of a river
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hand — help
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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