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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rule — government
  5. land — ground
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. drill — army training
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. last — finally
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rule — a law
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. last — final
  17. land — a country
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. last — to go on
  22. present — the time now
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. land — to come down

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