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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tube — a container
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. land — a country
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. season — of the year
  11. bore — to tire
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — to come down
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tear — from crying
  20. can — a tin
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. land — ground
  24. bore — to drill

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