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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. root — the cause
  9. rule — a law
  10. pop — music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. root — of a word
  13. pop — soda
  14. last — final
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. last — finally
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. root — of a plant
  22. last — to go on
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rest — a break

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