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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mug — a cup
  3. tube — a container
  4. spell — letters
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rule — a law
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mug — a face
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spell — magic
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. race — a contest
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bass — low music
  20. mug — to rob
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. race — humankind

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