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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 120 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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spell — magic
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pop — music
  7. mug — a face
  8. spell — letters
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pop — to visit
  11. court — of law
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rule — a law
  14. last — to go on
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pop — soda
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. rule — government
  21. file — a document
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. spell — a short time

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