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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bear — the animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bank — for money
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rule — a law
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — finally
  14. wind — moving air
  15. season — of the year
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bear — the animal
  19. last — to go on
  20. rule — government
  21. last — final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bank — of a river
  24. season — in sport

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