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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mark — a trace
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. current — happening now
  8. rule — government
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. sharp — clever
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — army training
  15. rule — a law
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mark — a grade
  18. current — electric
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. current — of water
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bear — the animal

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