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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — the month
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. march — the month
  11. row — a line
  12. stand — to bear
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pit — in a race
  15. staff — employees
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. row — to paddle
  19. staff — employees
  20. pit — a hole
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. march — music

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