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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 124 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. track — a song
  5. snap — to click
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rule — a law
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cell — in biology
  15. band — a music group
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. track — a path
  20. lie — to recline
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. band — a ring
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cell — a phone

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