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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fall — the season
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — government
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pop — to visit
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rule — a law
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pop — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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