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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. swing — to play on
  3. lean — to bend
  4. roll — a cake
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. swing — in golf
  9. lean — thin
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. roll — a list
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rule — a law
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. swing — music

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