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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rule — government
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. last — finally
  5. can — a tin
  6. rule — a law
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fall — the season
  11. last — to go on
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. sharp — clever
  16. spring — of water
  17. fall — to drop
  18. spring — a coil
  19. last — final
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fall — to drop

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