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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cell — in biology
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rule — government
  6. band — a music group
  7. content — happy
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rule — a law
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. content — the amount
  17. season — in sport
  18. band — a ring
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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