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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. swing — in golf
  3. content — happy
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. content — the amount
  8. bore — to tire
  9. last — to go on
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. swing — music
  16. rule — a law
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. last — final
  24. racket — for tennis

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