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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rule — a law
  6. row — a line
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pop — soda
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pop — music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. snap — to click
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stand — to bear
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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