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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. shower — rain
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rule — a law
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bass — low music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — 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