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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rule — government
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pop — soda
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bank — for money
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rash — a series
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pop — music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rule — a law
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lash — an eyelash

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