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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 120 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 · saw · bank · clip · cap · rule · deal · key

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. clip — a video
  5. key — in music
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bank — for money
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cap — a hat
  14. deal — to handle
  15. key — for a lock
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. clip — for paper
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bank — for money
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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