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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cold — an illness
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rest — a break
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cold — not warm

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