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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bank — of a river
  6. craft — boats
  7. fork — in a road
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. track — a song
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rule — government
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rule — a law
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. lie — to recline

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