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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · staff · rule · hide · club · rest

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. rule — government
  10. staff — employees
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bank — for money
  15. club — a group
  16. rest — a break
  17. rule — a law
  18. club — for golf

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