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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. charge — in control
  4. present — the time now
  5. last — to go on
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. last — finally
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. charge — a price
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — not warm
  15. present — there
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. track — a path
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fork — in a road
  21. last — final
  22. track — a song
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. track — to keep track

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