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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rule — government
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rush — hurry
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. rule — a law
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bound — tied together
  24. can — a tin

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