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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. clip — to cut
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mate — to breed
  5. suit — to fit
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mate — a friend
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rule — a law
  11. suit — clothes
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mate — a partner
  17. shower — to wash
  18. clip — for paper
  19. chest — a box
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. clip — a video
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rule — to rule out

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