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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rule — government
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — a break
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — of a river
  9. net — for catching
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fall — the season
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rule — a law
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pound — a weight

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