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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. object — an aim
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. object — to protest
  9. rule — government
  10. spring — the season
  11. ball — a great time
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rule — a law
  14. spring — a coil
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spring — of water
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. object — a thing
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stem — a stem cell

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