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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · rule · cold · mark · firm · snap · suit · mine

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. season — in sport
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. firm — a company
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rule — government
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. firm — decided
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. snap — to click
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mine — for digging
  21. suit — to fit
  22. season — of the year
  23. firm — steady
  24. mark — a grade

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