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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rule — government
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bank — for money
  6. current — happening now
  7. net — in sport
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bank — for money
  11. rest — a break
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. net — after costs
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. net — for catching
  21. current — electric
  22. bat — the animal
  23. current — of water
  24. cell — a phone

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