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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rule — a law
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. key — in music
  6. land — ground
  7. key — for a lock
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rash — a series
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. land — a country
  18. rule — government
  19. land — to come down
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. key — the most important part
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. dip — a sauce

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