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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. last — to go on
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spell — a short time
  7. current — happening now
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. spell — letters
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. charge — electricity
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spell — magic
  16. rule — a law
  17. tube — a container
  18. current — of water
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. current — electric
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. game — a match
  24. tube — the underground

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