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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. face — to confront
  6. clip — a video
  7. bank — for money
  8. rule — a law
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. hand — in cards
  13. clip — to cut
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — in biology
  17. hand — help
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bank — for money
  20. face — to point toward
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bank — of a river
  24. clip — for paper

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