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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rule — a law
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. dip — to sink
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stem — to come from
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. dip — a sauce

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