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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. firm — a company
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kick — in football
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rule — a law
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. firm — steady
  14. degree — an amount
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rule — government
  20. degree — temperature
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. firm — decided
  24. lie — an untruth

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