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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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — rain
  3. pass — a permit
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rest — what's left
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bank — for money
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rule — government
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rest — a break
  14. face — to confront
  15. tube — a container
  16. rule — a law
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wake — a trail
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rest — what's left

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