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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. dip — to sink
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rule — government
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. last — final
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. kid — child
  12. charge — in control
  13. last — finally
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rule — a law
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. last — to go on
  22. face — to point toward
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rule — to rule out

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