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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. row — a line
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rule — a law
  7. row — to paddle
  8. root — of a word
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. root — of a plant
  15. craft — a skill
  16. root — the cause
  17. snap — to click
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. degree — from a university
  20. fall — the season
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. craft — boats

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