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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. rule — government
  4. current — of water
  5. pop — to visit
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. current — happening now
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. pop — soda
  14. staff — employees
  15. deal — to handle
  16. current — electric
  17. pop — music
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fine — high quality
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. saw — the tool

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