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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. last — finally
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. last — to go on
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. last — final
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rule — government
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cold — not warm
  20. rule — a law
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cold — an illness
  24. fork — a garden tool

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