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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: deal · wake · suit · staff · bank · craft · rule · chest

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. suit — in cards
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. craft — boats
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. staff — employees
  8. rule — government
  9. chest — a box
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wake — a trail
  15. staff — a stick
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bank — for money
  21. deal — to handle
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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