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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. spell — letters
  3. rule — a law
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cold — not warm
  8. suit — in cards
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. spell — magic
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spell — a short time
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cold — an illness
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stand — to bear

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