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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pop — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. suit — in cards
  5. row — a line
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rule — government
  8. pop — to visit
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rule — a law
  15. suit — clothes
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cell — a phone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cell — in biology
  21. swing — in golf
  22. row — to paddle
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pop — soda

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