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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lean — to bend
  8. staff — employees
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lean — thin
  14. staff — employees
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. march — music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. dip — to sink
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. rule — a law
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. nail — for a hammer

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