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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. clip — to cut
  4. court — for sport
  5. clip — a video
  6. bank — for money
  7. content — the amount
  8. bank — for money
  9. rule — government
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. court — of law
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. content — happy
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. clip — for paper
  23. court — of a king
  24. rule — a law

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