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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rule — a law
  6. last — finally
  7. rule — government
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. clip — a video
  15. last — final
  16. rock — music
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. last — to go on
  21. mug — to rob
  22. clip — to cut
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mug — a face

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