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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rule — a law
  3. fall — the season
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. rock — music
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. row — to paddle
  11. kick — in football
  12. fine — all right
  13. rule — government
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cell — a phone
  21. present — a gift
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cell — in biology

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