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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rule — a law
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rule — government
  5. rash — a series
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. track — a song
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. present — there
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mate — a partner
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. track — to keep track
  20. present — the time now
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mate — to breed
  23. track — a path
  24. mark — a grade

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