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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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Word bank
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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: mark · bank · spell · rock · bark · shower · last · rule

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. spell — a short time
  4. shower — rain
  5. last — finally
  6. bank — for money
  7. rule — government
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spell — letters
  11. rule — a law
  12. last — to go on
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rock — music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. last — final
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — magic
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bank — of a river

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