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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. object — an aim
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bank — for money
  14. wax — to grow
  15. object — to protest
  16. rule — a law
  17. present — a gift
  18. object — a thing
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. perch — the fish
  24. scale — in music

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