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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. club — for golf
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. saw — the tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rash — a series
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rule — a law
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. club — a group

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