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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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468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. band — a ring
  7. craft — boats
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bear — the animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. kick — in football
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rule — a law
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. arm — a part of something

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