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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rule — a law
  7. present — the time now
  8. spell — magic
  9. firm — decided
  10. present — there
  11. bank — of a river
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bank — for money
  14. rule — government
  15. present — a gift
  16. firm — steady
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. firm — a company
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bank — for money
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. ground — a position

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