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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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 — a law
  2. rest — a break
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rule — government
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. last — to go on
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rest — what's left
  22. roll — a list
  23. rule — to rule out
  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