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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bank — of a river
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — to point toward
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. file — a document
  11. face — part of the head
  12. file — a tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — of law
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. face — to confront
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bank — for money
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. rule — government

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