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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fork — in a road
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. scale — in music
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mate — a friend
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mug — a face
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. drill — army training
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. mug — a cup
  24. lean — thin

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