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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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. tear — from crying
  4. suit — to fit
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. capital — money
  7. vault — a safe
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. suit — in cards
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stock — goods
  15. tear — to rip
  16. capital — a city
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. tear — from crying
  19. suit — clothes
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stock — shares
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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