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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: present · rock · ball · rule · stand · saw · bank · wind

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rule — government
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. present — the time now
  9. rock — music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. present — there
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bank — for money
  22. present — a gift
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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