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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rule — government
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. dip — to sink
  9. row — a line
  10. saw — the tool
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spell — letters
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rule — a law
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. spell — magic
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wound — an injury

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