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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. perch — the fish
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — the tool
  12. last — to go on
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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