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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. squash — the sport
  7. track — a song
  8. rule — government
  9. track — to keep track
  10. charge — a price
  11. last — finally
  12. rule — a law
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fine — high quality
  15. charge — electricity
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mug — a cup
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. track — a path
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fine — all right
  23. charge — in control
  24. fine — a penalty

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