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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. last — to go on
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bank — for money
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cell — in biology
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. shower — rain
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. squash — to crush
  21. capital — a city
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bank — for money

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