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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 · rule · hand · tear · chip · last · safe · staff

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rule — a law
  3. hand — in cards
  4. staff — employees
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. last — finally
  7. bank — of a river
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rule — government
  11. chip — to eat
  12. staff — employees
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. bank — for money
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. hand — help
  19. staff — a stick
  20. chip — for betting
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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