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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bank — of a river
  4. vault — a safe
  5. clip — to cut
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bank — for money
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. can — a tin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rule — a law
  17. bank — for money
  18. clip — for paper
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. clip — a video
  21. stand — to bear
  22. scale — in music
  23. rest — a break
  24. can — a tin

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