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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rule — a law
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fork — in a road
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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