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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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. lie — an untruth
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. lie — to recline
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rule — a law
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. march — music
  16. mark — a trace
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mark — a grade
  24. sharp — clever

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