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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rule — government
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cold — not warm
  12. key — the most important part
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cold — an illness
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rule — a law
  19. key — in music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. key — for a lock
  23. saw — the tool
  24. sharp — clever

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