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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  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. object — to protest
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rule — a law
  4. present — a gift
  5. object — a thing
  6. kick — in football
  7. present — the time now
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. present — there
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. object — an aim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rule — government
  17. rush — a thrill
  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