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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. hand — in cards
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. tear — from crying
  5. can — a tin
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. suit — in cards
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spell — magic
  10. tear — from crying
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. suit — to fit
  13. hand — help
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. tear — to rip
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rule — a law
  20. spell — letters
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fine — all right

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