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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. spell — magic
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — in football
  11. spell — letters
  12. rule — a law
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rest — a break
  15. bank — for money
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. spell — a short time

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