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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. club — for dancing
  3. shower — to wash
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. club — a group
  6. present — there
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. present — the time now
  13. shower — rain
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rule — a law
  18. content — the amount
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. content — happy
  21. present — a gift
  22. club — for golf
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. lean — thin

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