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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rule — a law
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stem — to come from
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. season — of the year
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. kick — in football
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. season — in sport
  21. current — happening now
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. jam — a tight spot

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