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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 120 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. firm — steady
  3. mate — to breed
  4. fine — all right
  5. mate — a friend
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rule — a law
  9. firm — decided
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. saw — the tool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fine — high quality
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — a company
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. arm — part of the body

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