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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rest — a break
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. current — of water
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spring — the season
  13. fall — the season
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. track — a song
  16. current — electric
  17. track — a path
  18. current — happening now
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rule — a law
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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