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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. march — music
  7. staff — employees
  8. kid — child
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. ground — a position
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rule — a law
  15. march — the month
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ground — the earth
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rule — government
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fall — the season
  23. staff — employees
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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