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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. march — the month
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fine — all right
  5. firm — decided
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rule — government
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rest — a break
  10. firm — a company
  11. march — music
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. board — to get on
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. march — the month
  20. board — a committee
  21. fine — high quality
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. firm — steady

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