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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. current — electric
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mate — to breed
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. toast — bread
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rule — a law
  15. mate — a partner
  16. current — of water
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. current — happening now
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mate — a friend

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