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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 124 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. 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 — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. saw — the tool
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. can — a tin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. can — to be able to
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wake — a trail
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — high quality
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fine — all right
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. 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