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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. craft — a skill
  5. suit — clothes
  6. club — for golf
  7. rash — a series
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rash — hasty
  18. land — a country
  19. club — a group
  20. land — ground
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. land — to come down
  24. wound — an injury

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