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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 124 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. court — for sport
  4. pop — to visit
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bank — of a river
  7. file — a tool
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bank — for money
  10. pop — soda
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a document
  14. pop — music
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. file — a line of people
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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