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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: fall · rock · saw · deal · rule · bank · jam · mark

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rule — government
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bank — for money
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — for money
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rule — a law
  15. rock — music
  16. fall — to drop
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. deal — to handle
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fall — the season
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mark — a trace

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