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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — a law
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. sharp — clever
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. fall — the season
  13. rest — a break
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — government
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. nail — for a hammer

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