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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rule — government
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. suit — in cards
  7. drill — a practice
  8. last — finally
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. content — the amount
  13. drill — army training
  14. last — to go on
  15. suit — to fit
  16. content — happy
  17. rule — a law
  18. suit — clothes
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. staff — a stick
  21. drill — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. staff — employees

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