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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. current — of water
  5. rule — government
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. current — happening now
  8. land — a country
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. current — electric
  12. wound — an injury
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. present — the time now
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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