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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 124 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. roll — a cake
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. squash — the sport
  12. roll — a list
  13. squash — to crush
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rule — a law
  17. saw — the tool
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. file — a tool
  21. foot — a measure
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. saw — the tool

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