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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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. present — a gift
  4. current — happening now
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cap — a hat
  7. present — there
  8. squash — the sport
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. present — the time now
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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