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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. present — there
  4. fall — to drop
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — to eat
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rest — a break
  11. rule — a law
  12. chip — for betting
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fall — to drop
  17. present — a gift
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — the time now
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. can — a tin
  24. fall — the season

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