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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. kick — in football
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rule — a law
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bat — the animal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. kick — with a leg

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