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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. drill — army training
  3. snap — to click
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bank — for money
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bank — for money
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. staff — employees
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rule — a law
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rule — government
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. drill — a practice
  19. squash — the sport
  20. staff — a stick
  21. drill — the tool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. staff — employees
  24. squash — to crush

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