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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. row — a line
  5. kick — in football
  6. chip — to eat
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fine — all right
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rule — government
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chip — for betting
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rule — a law
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rock — music
  24. kick — a thrill

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