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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. perch — the fish
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rock — music
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ground — crushed
  13. can — a tin
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. snap — to click
  18. rule — a law
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rock — a stone
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. march — the month
  24. ground — a position

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