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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. present — a gift
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fall — to drop
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. chair — a leader
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. present — the time now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. present — there
  17. fall — the season
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rule — a law
  20. fall — to drop
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. shower — rain
  24. ball — a dance

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