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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. bank — of a river
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fine — all right
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. drill — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stem — of a plant

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