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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: face · mug · last · hand · rule · club · bank · rock

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. hand — help
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. hand — in cards
  8. last — final
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. last — finally
  11. mug — a face
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — to go on
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rock — music
  20. face — to confront
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bank — for money
  24. club — a group

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