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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fine — all right
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rash — hasty
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rule — government
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. spell — a short time
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. spell — magic
  16. fine — high quality
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rule — a law
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rash — a series
  22. spell — letters
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hide — animal skin

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