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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. content — the amount
  3. rule — a law
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rule — government
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fall — to drop
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fall — the season
  11. ground — crushed
  12. content — happy
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. shower — rain
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ground — a position

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