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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rule — government
  4. spell — magic
  5. rule — a law
  6. spell — letters
  7. object — a thing
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. season — in sport
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. season — of the year
  12. bank — for money
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. saw — the tool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spell — a short time

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