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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mark — a grade
  6. land — to come down
  7. branch — a division
  8. rule — a law
  9. fall — the season
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fall — to drop
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. land — a country
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. land — ground
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chip — for betting

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