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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rule — government
  3. bound — certain
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fall — to drop
  6. shower — rain
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — a law
  11. scale — size or range
  12. branch — a division
  13. bound — obliged
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. fall — the season
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. scale — in music
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. bound — tied together
  23. suit — clothes
  24. shower — to wash

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