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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stem — to come from
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rule — a law
  7. mug — a cup
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bank — of a river
  10. last — final
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bank — for money
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bank — for money
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. last — to go on
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mug — a face
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rule — government
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. last — finally

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