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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. march — the month
  5. rule — government
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. snap — to click
  12. tube — a container
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. march — music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. march — the month
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rule — a law
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. tube — in a tire

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