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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. last — final
  3. rule — a law
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rule — government
  6. charge — a price
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. last — to go on
  10. fine — high quality
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. charge — in control
  13. fine — all right
  14. charge — electricity
  15. last — finally
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fine — a penalty

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