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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pop — soda
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pop — to visit
  7. firm — steady
  8. pop — music
  9. bank — for money
  10. last — to go on
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. last — finally
  13. firm — a company
  14. rule — a law
  15. last — final
  16. game — wild animals
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. firm — decided
  19. bank — for money
  20. kick — in football
  21. rule — government
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. game — a match

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