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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rule — government
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pound — a weight
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. craft — boats
  11. object — a thing
  12. tear — from crying
  13. land — a country
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rule — a law
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. tear — to rip
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. land — ground
  22. tear — from crying
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. craft — a skill

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