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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wind — moving air
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. rule — a law
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bank — of a river
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bank — for money
  17. track — a song
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rule — government
  23. wind — moving air
  24. track — a path

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