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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rule — government
  7. spell — letters
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cue — a hint
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. tear — to rip
  24. nail — for a hammer

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