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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. lie — to recline
  4. present — there
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mine — for digging
  8. net — for catching
  9. rash — a series
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ball — a dance
  12. present — the time now
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. net — after costs
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. net — in sport
  22. rash — hasty
  23. present — a gift
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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