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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. chest — a box
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chest — of your body
  5. season — of the year
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rule — a law
  16. season — in sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. object — a thing
  20. rest — a break
  21. spell — letters
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rule — government
  24. object — an aim

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