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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. swing — in golf
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bound — tied together
  6. saw — the tool
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. saw — the tool
  10. swing — music
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lean — thin
  14. swing — to play on
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lean — to bend
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bound — certain
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. present — there
  24. rule — to rule out

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