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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rule — government
  3. last — final
  4. rule — a law
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. last — to go on
  7. dip — to sink
  8. suit — to fit
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. hand — in cards
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. suit — clothes
  16. key — for a lock
  17. last — finally
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ball — a dance
  22. key — in music
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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