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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 water is too ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. last — finally
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. last — final
  9. net — in sport
  10. rule — government
  11. mark — a trace
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rule — a law
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. net — after costs
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mark — a grade
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. net — for catching
  22. last — to go on
  23. toast — bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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