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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. staff — employees
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. rash — a series
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. present — a gift
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. present — there
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. staff — employees
  18. rule — a law
  19. staff — a stick
  20. present — the time now
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. last — final
  23. lean — thin
  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