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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rule — government
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rule — a law
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone

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