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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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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. rule — a law
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cell — in biology
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fall — to drop
  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