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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wake — a trail
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rule — a law
  11. shower — rain
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. branch — a division
  21. shower — to wash
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rest — a break

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