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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rash — hasty
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. spring — the season
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bass — low music
  10. spring — of water
  11. rule — government
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. spring — a coil
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rule — a law
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cold — an illness
  20. mug — a face
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rash — a series

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