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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ground — crushed
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rule — a law
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. row — a line
  8. fine — all right
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. rule — government
  13. fine — high quality
  14. row — to paddle
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cold — not warm
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cold — an illness
  21. ground — a position
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. safe — a strongbox

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