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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. spell — letters
  3. board — a committee
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fall — to drop
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rule — government
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. board — to get on
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bank — for money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — magic
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fall — the season
  20. rule — a law
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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