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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. suit — to fit
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rule — government
  8. current — happening now
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. current — of water
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. current — electric
  15. pound — a weight
  16. present — there
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tear — from crying
  19. present — the time now
  20. suit — in cards
  21. chair — a leader
  22. dip — to sink
  23. present — a gift
  24. dip — a sauce

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