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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pop — soda
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. suit — clothes
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rule — a law
  9. pop — to visit
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stem — to come from
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. suit — in cards
  17. spell — letters
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pop — music
  21. content — the amount
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. suit — to fit
  24. content — happy

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