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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rule — government
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ball — a great time
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. present — a gift
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. capital — a city
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rule — a law
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. present — there
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. capital — money
  24. present — the time now

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