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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. field — farmland
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rule — government
  6. wind — moving air
  7. last — finally
  8. rash — a series
  9. last — final
  10. field — for sport
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rest — what's left
  14. last — to go on
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. charge — a price
  20. field — a subject
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rule — a law
  24. charge — in control

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