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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. present — a gift
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. rest — a break
  6. suit — in cards
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wind — moving air
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wind — moving air
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rule — a law
  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