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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. drill — army training
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. clip — a video
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. drill — a practice
  15. clip — to cut
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rule — a law
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bat — the animal
  24. deal — to handle

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