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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bound — certain
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. suit — to fit
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rash — a series
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. suit — in cards
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rest — what's left
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rule — a law
  19. rest — a break
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rule — government
  23. bound — tied together
  24. squash — to crush

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