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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — in a race
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rash — hasty
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spell — magic
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rash — a series
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rule — a law
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rule — government
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rule — to rule out

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