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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. snap — to click
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bore — to tire
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rash — a series
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bore — to drill
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rule — a law

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