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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. foot — a measure
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rule — a law
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. suit — clothes

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