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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. swing — in golf
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rule — a law
  22. wax — to grow
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — to play on

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