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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.

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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rule — a law
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rule — government
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. court — of law
  11. fall — to drop
  12. season — in sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. ball — a dance
  15. season — of the year
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. snap — to click
  19. court — for sport
  20. fall — the season
  21. rash — a series
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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