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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bank — for money
  3. foot — a measure
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rule — a law
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bound — certain
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — a path
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bound — tied together
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bound — obliged
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — rain
  23. track — a song
  24. foot — part of the body

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