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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rule — government
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. last — finally
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rule — a law
  11. last — final
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. game — a match
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. content — happy
  18. last — to go on
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mug — a cup

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