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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — in football
  4. rule — government
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. land — to come down
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rule — a law
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. current — electric
  20. land — a country
  21. bass — the fish
  22. land — ground
  23. bass — low music
  24. lie — to recline

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