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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: rule · chair · bore · saw · bank · dip · rest · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rest — a break
  5. saw — the tool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rule — a law
  10. club — for golf
  11. bank — for money
  12. rest — what's left
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rule — government
  15. bank — for money
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. club — for dancing
  19. chair — a leader
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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