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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. object — an aim
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. game — wild animals
  8. last — final
  9. game — a match
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. last — finally
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. object — a thing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. object — to protest
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rule — government
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rule — a law
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. last — to go on

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