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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stand — to bear
  17. key — for a lock
  18. snap — to click
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. prune — to trim
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wave — with your hand

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