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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rule — government
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mate — a friend
  7. last — finally
  8. hand — help
  9. present — a gift
  10. last — to go on
  11. present — there
  12. hand — in cards
  13. tube — the underground
  14. present — the time now
  15. tube — a container
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rule — a law
  18. mate — a partner
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. lean — thin
  24. tube — in a tire

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