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

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fine — all right
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. root — of a word
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rule — government
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. hand — help
  17. root — the cause
  18. rule — a law
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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