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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. fork — in a road
  11. tear — from crying
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. tear — to rip
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mouse — the animal

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