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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mine — for digging
  3. object — to protest
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rule — government
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rule — a law
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. can — a tin
  11. object — a thing
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. content — happy
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. object — an aim
  17. content — the amount
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. can — a tin
  24. rule — to rule out

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