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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. season — of the year
  5. scale — size or range
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. scale — in music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. season — in sport
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bound — certain
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rule — a law
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rush — to hurry

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