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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · nail · bank · content · cell · rash · scale · hand

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bank — for money
  4. rule — a law
  5. scale — size or range
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rule — government
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bank — for money
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. hand — help
  14. scale — in music
  15. content — the amount
  16. cell — in biology
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — happy
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bank — of a river

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