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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spell — magic
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. spell — letters
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. fall — to drop
  14. kick — in football
  15. fall — the season
  16. chair — a leader
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rest — a break
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rule — government
  24. rest — what's left

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