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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. present — a gift
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. saw — the tool
  15. suit — clothes
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rock — music
  21. present — there
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wake — a trail
  24. suit — in cards

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