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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rule — a law
  8. present — the time now
  9. spring — of water
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. degree — from a university
  12. present — a gift
  13. dip — to sink
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spring — the season
  17. race — a contest
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. degree — an amount
  20. suit — clothes
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. degree — temperature
  23. suit — in cards
  24. present — there

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