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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. last — final
  3. content — happy
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. content — the amount
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. last — finally
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rule — a law
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rule — government
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. last — to go on
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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