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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. object — to protest
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. current — happening now
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — a series
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. current — of water
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. current — electric
  17. object — a thing
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. object — an aim
  23. rule — a law
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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