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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. race — a contest
  3. firm — steady
  4. drill — a practice
  5. present — a gift
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. drill — army training
  9. row — to paddle
  10. race — humankind
  11. rush — hurry
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. present — there
  14. race — the arms race
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. firm — a company
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. firm — decided
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. drill — the tool
  23. present — the time now
  24. rule — a law

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