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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lie — to recline
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. net — after costs
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. net — for catching
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pop — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rule — a law
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wound — an injury
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. net — in sport
  21. wax — to grow
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pop — soda
  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