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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bound — obliged
  5. current — happening now
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mate — to breed
  13. current — electric
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rule — a law
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. current — of water
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. lean — thin
  22. charge — in control
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. lean — to bend

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