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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. craft — a skill
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rule — a law
  6. lean — to bend
  7. game — a match
  8. bore — to tire
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mate — a partner
  13. season — of the year
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mate — to breed
  16. lean — thin
  17. season — in sport
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bore — to drill
  21. craft — boats
  22. mate — a friend
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lean — to rest against

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