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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: game · rule · bank · wave · stock · coach · kid · rest

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rule — a law
  3. kid — child
  4. rule — government
  5. rest — a break
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. game — wild animals
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bank — for money
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rest — what's left
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — a match
  22. bank — for money
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stock — goods

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