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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bank — of a river
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fork — in a road
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bank — for money
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rule — a law
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. hand — help
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — to play on

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