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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rush — hurry
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. march — the month
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ball — a dance
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ball — a great time
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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