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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. kid — child
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. face — to confront
  9. kid — to tease
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. squash — to crush
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rule — a law
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stand — to bear
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. face — part of the head
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. temple — a place of worship

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