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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cell — a phone
  4. last — to go on
  5. cell — in biology
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rule — government
  8. court — for sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. mug — a face
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bank — for money
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. roll — a list
  15. court — of a king
  16. last — finally
  17. rule — a law
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mug — a cup
  21. last — final
  22. court — of law
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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