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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bass — the fish
  3. present — a gift
  4. club — for dancing
  5. present — the time now
  6. club — for golf
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. club — a group
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. present — there
  18. rule — a law
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. perch — the fish
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. perch — for a bird

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