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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rule — a law
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mine — for digging
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. object — a thing
  10. rule — government
  11. object — to protest
  12. kid — child
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lean — thin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. object — an aim
  22. lean — to bend
  23. kid — to tease
  24. lean — to rest against

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