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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rock — music
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. staff — employees
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. squash — to crush
  8. staff — a stick
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rock — a stone
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. plane — a tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rule — a law
  24. rock — to move gently

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