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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rush — hurry
  6. shower — rain
  7. race — humankind
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cap — a hat
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. race — a contest
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rule — a law
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. craft — boats
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. race — the arms race
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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