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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — moving air
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. shower — rain
  9. rule — a law
  10. wind — moving air
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — to wash
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. hide — to keep secret

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