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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rule — a law
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rule — government
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. dip — to sink
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mate — a friend

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