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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rock · spring · mug · plane · bank · scale · stick

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. bank — for money
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. scale — size or range
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mug — a face
  11. scale — in music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. bank — for money
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mug — to rob
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spring — the season
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rule — government

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