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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rush — hurry
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rule — government
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. scale — in music
  8. game — a match
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rule — a law
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. game — wild animals
  24. scale — size or range

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