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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rule — a law
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rule — government
  14. current — happening now
  15. charge — a price
  16. bass — low music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. current — of water
  22. charge — in control
  23. current — electric
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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