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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. band — a music group
  8. bank — of a river
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bank — for money
  11. last — final
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. last — to go on
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. last — finally
  17. branch — a division
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. band — a ring
  20. bank — for money
  21. rule — a law
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rule — government
  24. row — a line

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