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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rule — a law
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. present — the time now
  7. rule — government
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — a permit
  15. present — there
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chest — a box
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. saw — the tool

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