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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. march — the month
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wake — a trail
  6. charge — in control
  7. tear — from crying
  8. march — music
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — a price
  11. prune — to trim
  12. march — the month
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rule — government
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fine — all right
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. rule — a law
  24. fine — high quality

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