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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rule — government
  3. chip — to eat
  4. root — of a word
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rest — a break
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chip — for betting
  10. suit — to fit
  11. root — the cause
  12. mug — a cup
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. tube — a container
  16. clip — a video
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rest — what's left
  20. clip — to cut
  21. root — of a plant
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rule — a law
  24. mug — a face

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