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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rash — hasty
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. root — of a word
  9. fall — to drop
  10. current — electric
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rash — a series
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fall — the season
  20. rule — government
  21. bound — certain
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — the cause
  24. perch — the fish

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