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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rule — government
  6. last — final
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. last — finally
  10. ball — a great time
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. season — of the year
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. fall — the season
  17. bank — for money
  18. fall — to drop
  19. sharp — clever
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rule — a law
  22. season — in sport
  23. last — to go on
  24. sharp — with an edge

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