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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. spell — letters
  3. fine — all right
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. rule — government
  7. spell — a short time
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. spell — magic
  16. march — music
  17. rule — a law
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. march — the month
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mouse — the animal

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