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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. chest — a box
  6. bore — to tire
  7. chest — of your body
  8. suit — in cards
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. march — the month
  21. rule — a law
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bear — to put up with

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