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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rule — government
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wake — a trail
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. row — a line
  16. lean — thin
  17. row — to paddle
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pitcher — a jug

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