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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rule — government
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fall — the season
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. row — a line
  14. rule — a law
  15. wake — a trail
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fall — to drop
  18. saw — the tool
  19. game — a match
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fall — to drop
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rule — to rule out

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