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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rule — government
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kick — in football
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — finally
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. last — final
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rule — a law
  24. kick — a thrill

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