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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rule — a law
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rule — government
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spell — magic
  15. mug — a face
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — letters
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wound — an injury

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