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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — for money
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rule — government
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. drill — army training
  9. bat — the animal
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rash — a series
  17. bank — for money
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rule — a law
  24. bank — of a river

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