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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. saw — the tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — magic
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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