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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rest — what's left
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rule — government
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spring — the season
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rest — a break
  23. rule — a law
  24. spring — of water

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