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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. land — ground
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. root — of a word
  6. rule — a law
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. land — a country
  9. root — of a plant
  10. object — an aim
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. land — to come down
  16. root — the cause
  17. fall — to drop
  18. object — a thing
  19. pass — a permit
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. object — to protest
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pass — to succeed

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