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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fine — high quality
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fine — all right
  5. rule — government
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. lean — thin
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rule — a law
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. foot — a measure
  24. row — a line

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