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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. stand — to bear
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rash — a series
  6. rule — a law
  7. snap — to click
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stock — goods
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — shares
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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