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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rule — government
  5. row — to paddle
  6. object — to protest
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. tear — from crying
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rule — a law
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. saw — the tool
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fan — a supporter

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