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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. charge — a price
  3. club — a group
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. charge — in control
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rule — government
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rule — a law
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cold — an illness
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. key — in music
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mate — to breed
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. club — for golf
  23. key — the most important part
  24. charge — electricity

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