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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. roll — a list
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. land — to come down
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rule — a law
  13. craft — boats
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. staff — a stick
  16. roll — a cake
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — ground
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fork — in a road
  21. staff — employees
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. land — a country
  24. wave — with your hand

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