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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rule — a law
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wound — an injury
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rock — music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. toast — bread
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rock — a stone
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pass — to succeed

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