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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. rule — government
  3. march — music
  4. mate — a friend
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — shares
  7. march — the month
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. march — the month
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fall — the season
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stock — goods
  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