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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. root — the cause
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rest — what's left
  13. last — to go on
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. net — for catching
  17. root — of a plant
  18. last — final
  19. net — after costs
  20. last — finally
  21. root — of a word
  22. pop — music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. net — in sport

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