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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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 — a law
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. lean — thin
  5. bank — for money
  6. lean — to bend
  7. land — to come down
  8. staff — a stick
  9. land — ground
  10. rash — hasty
  11. staff — employees
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. drill — army training
  14. pit — in a race
  15. drill — a practice
  16. land — a country
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rule — government
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. staff — employees
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rash — a series
  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