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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. firm — steady
  4. snap — to click
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rule — a law
  8. firm — a company
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chip — for betting
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. tear — to rip
  17. firm — decided
  18. rule — government
  19. chip — to eat
  20. branch — a division
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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