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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: lean · bank · rule · spring · present · chair · key · lie

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. spring — of water
  4. present — a gift
  5. key — in music
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lean — thin
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. present — the time now
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — there
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bank — for money
  16. spring — the season
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rule — government
  20. chair — a leader
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. key — the most important part

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