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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. drill — army training
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. capital — a city
  10. rash — a series
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. capital — money
  23. drill — a practice
  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