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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. lean — to bend
  3. present — the time now
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rash — hasty
  6. capital — money
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rash — a series
  9. present — a gift
  10. land — ground
  11. rule — government
  12. land — to come down
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. saw — the tool
  19. land — a country
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. rash — on the skin

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