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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rule — government
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mate — to breed
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rule — a law
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. race — a contest
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. race — humankind
  22. fall — the season
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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