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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pop — to visit
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. last — to go on
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. last — final
  7. saw — the tool
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pop — soda
  11. last — finally
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rule — government
  18. dip — to sink
  19. can — a tin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rule — a law
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pop — music

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