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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. spell — a short time
  3. track — a path
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spell — letters
  7. firm — decided
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. spell — magic
  11. rule — a law
  12. firm — steady
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cue — a hint
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. rule — government
  23. track — a song
  24. firm — a company

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