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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fine — high quality
  3. last — final
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. net — in sport
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rule — a law
  18. fine — all right
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rule — government
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. last — finally
  24. rush — hurry

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