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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rule — government
  7. firm — decided
  8. press — newspapers
  9. firm — steady
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. firm — a company
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. press — a publisher
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. press — to push
  20. bank — for money
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wake — a trail
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bank — of a river

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