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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. object — a thing
  6. suit — to fit
  7. object — to protest
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. board — to get on
  10. object — an aim
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rule — government
  20. cold — not warm
  21. suit — in cards
  22. board — a committee
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cold — an illness

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