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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. present — there
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rest — a break
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rule — a law
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bank — of a river
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rule — government

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