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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rule — a law
  3. rest — a break
  4. march — the month
  5. chip — to eat
  6. march — the month
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rule — government
  9. march — music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lie — to recline
  17. snap — to click
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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