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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. land — ground
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — to come down
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. rule — government
  18. land — a country
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bear — the animal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lie — an untruth

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