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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. shower — rain
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. sharp — clever
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. kid — child
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. race — humankind
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. track — a path
  17. deal — to handle
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rule — a law
  21. shower — to wash
  22. track — a song
  23. kid — to tease
  24. race — a contest

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