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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. land — a country
  5. bound — obliged
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. track — a song
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bound — tied together
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — to keep track
  14. land — ground
  15. snap — to click
  16. track — a path
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. land — to come down
  19. rule — a law
  20. bound — certain
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. toast — bread

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