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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rule — government
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. snap — to click
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rule — a law
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bound — tied together
  13. last — final
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rest — a break
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. last — to go on
  19. bound — certain
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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