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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rule — government
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rule — a law
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wake — a trail
  9. land — ground
  10. fine — high quality
  11. land — to come down
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. tear — from crying
  15. can — a tin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fine — all right
  18. can — a tin
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. tear — to rip
  22. land — a country
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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