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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. rule — government
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rule — a law
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rash — a series
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. spell — letters
  10. track — a path
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. staff — employees
  15. rash — hasty
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spell — magic
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. track — a song
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. staff — employees
  23. pass — a permit
  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