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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rule — a law
  4. bound — obliged
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rock — a stone
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rock — music
  19. bass — low music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bound — tied together
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bound — certain
  24. stand — on your feet

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