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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. deal — to handle
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bore — to drill
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rule — a law
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. foot — a measure
  21. lean — thin
  22. bore — to tire
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pitcher — a jug

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