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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. club — for golf
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. suit — clothes
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rule — a law
  10. capital — money
  11. rule — government
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. suit — in cards
  16. capital — a city
  17. rash — a series
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. suit — to fit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — a group
  24. dip — to sink

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