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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rule — government
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. shower — rain
  7. rule — a law
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fine — all right
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rash — a series
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. tube — a container
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bound — certain

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