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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rule — government
  3. bound — obliged
  4. prune — to trim
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. can — a tin
  10. staff — employees
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rash — a series
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rule — a law
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bore — to drill

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