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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. last — final
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. present — the time now
  6. stock — goods
  7. last — to go on
  8. stock — shares
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. fall — to drop
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rule — a law
  15. rest — a break
  16. present — there
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rest — what's left
  19. present — a gift
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — finally
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rest — what's left
  24. squash — to crush

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