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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. last — to go on
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rush — hurry
  10. roll — a list
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. track — a song
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. track — a path
  15. tube — a container
  16. capital — a city
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rule — a law
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. tube — the underground
  23. capital — money
  24. rule — government

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