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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 120 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — government
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rule — a law
  6. pop — soda
  7. pit — a hole
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. last — to go on
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. last — finally
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pop — music
  17. mug — a face
  18. last — final
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rash — a series
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rash — hasty

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