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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rule — government
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bank — for money
  5. firm — decided
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fall — the season
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bank — for money
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. firm — steady
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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