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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cold — an illness
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bound — tied together
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rule — a law
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rule — government
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. track — a path
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. track — a song
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cold — not warm

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