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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bound — tied together
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. march — the month
  7. bear — the animal
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. race — a contest
  11. firm — steady
  12. bear — the animal
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. rule — a law
  16. bound — certain
  17. race — humankind
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bound — obliged

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