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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lean — thin
  7. ball — a great time
  8. tube — a container
  9. rule — a law
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. tube — the underground
  12. shower — rain
  13. ball — a dance
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. lean — to bend
  21. shower — to wash
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pound — a weight
  24. coach — a trainer

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