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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rule — government
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mate — a partner
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. court — of a king
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bank — for money
  15. court — of law
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rule — a law
  18. drill — army training
  19. mate — to breed
  20. can — a tin
  21. court — for sport
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rest — a break
  24. rule — to rule out

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