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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rule — government
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. staff — a stick
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. row — a line
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. staff — employees
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. suit — to fit

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