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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. cue — for pool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rule — government
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pop — music
  11. spell — letters
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rule — a law
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spell — magic
  16. season — of the year
  17. chair — a leader
  18. season — in sport
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pop — soda
  22. spell — a short time
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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