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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: bank · rock · kick · lie · chip · mate · rash · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. kick — in football
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rock — music
  6. rule — a law
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rule — government
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bank — for money
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lie — an untruth

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