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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bank — for money
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. race — a contest
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — humankind
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. spring — of water
  15. season — of the year
  16. bear — the animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rule — government
  19. spring — the season
  20. rule — a law
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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