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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. bank — for money
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. rule — government
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. present — a gift
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. last — final
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. file — a tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. file — a document
  24. pass — a permit

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