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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. spell — magic
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. spell — letters
  5. race — humankind
  6. bound — obliged
  7. toast — bread
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. race — the arms race
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rule — a law
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. race — a contest
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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