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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rule — a law
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ball — a dance
  9. kid — to tease
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rule — government
  13. spell — letters
  14. squash — to crush
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. spell — magic
  17. ball — a great time
  18. land — ground
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. land — a country
  21. kid — child
  22. land — to come down
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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