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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. spring — the season
  5. vault — a safe
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. squash — to crush
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rule — a law
  10. march — the month
  11. rash — hasty
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. season — of the year
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. march — the month
  17. kick — in football
  18. march — music
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. squash — the sport
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. squash — the vegetable

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