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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. rule — a law
  2. rash — a series
  3. deal — to handle
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fall — to drop
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rash — hasty
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rule — government
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fall — the season
  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