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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spring — of water
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spring — a coil
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rule — a law
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spring — the season
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. club — for golf
  18. bank — for money
  19. club — a group
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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