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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. last — finally
  4. game — a match
  5. ball — a dance
  6. net — after costs
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rule — a law
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. saw — the tool
  13. net — for catching
  14. wake — a trail
  15. last — final
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rule — government
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ball — a great time
  20. game — wild animals
  21. net — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. last — to go on
  24. wake — before a funeral

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