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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: spring · rule · rest · roll · date · bank · season · bay

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bank — for money
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rest — a break
  6. rule — a law
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. date — the fruit
  10. spring — of water
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. season — of the year
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. roll — a list
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bank — of a river
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. spring — the season
  20. season — in sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — for money
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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