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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bass — the fish
  3. chip — for betting
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fall — the season
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rule — a law
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. spell — a short time

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