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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 120 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. drill — army training
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. spring — a coil
  5. row — a line
  6. kick — in football
  7. rule — a law
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. spring — the season
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. foot — a measure
  14. spring — of water
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. current — happening now
  17. drill — the tool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. drill — a practice
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tear — from crying

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