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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 116 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 take my ________________ from you.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. can — a tin
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rest — a break
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fall — the season
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fall — to drop
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bear — the animal
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cue — a signal
  23. face — to confront
  24. can — a tin

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