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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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. rule — a law
  4. current — electric
  5. fork — in a road
  6. current — happening now
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lean — to bend
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lean — thin
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. current — of water
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. straw — dry grass

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