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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. club — for golf
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. club — a group
  9. bank — for money
  10. rule — a law
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — a series
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — ministers

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