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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. face — to confront
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rule — a law
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pop — to visit
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pop — music
  16. drill — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stand — to bear
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. drill — army training
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pop — soda
  24. mate — a partner

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