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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 124 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. bank — for money
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. present — the time now
  8. wind — moving air
  9. present — there
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bank — of a river
  15. present — a gift
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. press — to push
  19. rule — a law
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bank — for money
  23. press — newspapers
  24. branch — of a tree

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