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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. land — ground
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mate — to breed
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rule — government
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mate — a partner
  11. saw — the tool
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bank — for money
  14. land — to come down
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. land — a country
  18. mate — a friend
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bank — for money
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. foot — the bottom

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