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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. land — a country
  3. object — to protest
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bear — the animal
  7. drill — a practice
  8. craft — a skill
  9. drill — the tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. drill — army training
  12. object — an aim
  13. land — to come down
  14. object — a thing
  15. rule — government
  16. bear — the animal
  17. land — ground
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rule — a law
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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