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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. file — a line of people
  7. kid — to tease
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bank — for money
  12. kid — child
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. track — a path
  17. lean — thin
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bank — for money
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. track — a song
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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