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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — hurry
  5. march — the month
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rule — government
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rule — a law
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. march — music
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. hand — help
  15. march — the month
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bank — for money
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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