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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. key — in music
  8. bass — low music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bear — the animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rule — a law
  15. row — to paddle
  16. chest — a box
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. chest — of your body
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chest — of your body
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. leaves — to go away

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