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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. last — finally
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rule — a law
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. current — of water
  10. last — final
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rash — a series
  15. current — happening now
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — electric
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rule — government
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. last — to go on
  24. wind — moving air

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