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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fine — all right
  4. rule — a law
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fine — high quality
  8. club — a group
  9. ground — a position
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. club — for dancing
  16. snap — to click
  17. fall — the season
  18. saw — the tool
  19. club — for golf
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. saw — the tool

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