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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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rule — a law
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. track — a song
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. kid — to tease
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. track — a path
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rule — government
  16. row — a line
  17. kick — in football
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. kid — child
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. track — to keep track

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