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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rule — government
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. can — to be able to
  11. chest — a box
  12. can — a tin
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stem — to come from
  15. chest — of your body
  16. can — a tin
  17. rule — a law
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wind — moving air

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