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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — the earth
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ground — a position
  7. board — a committee
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. branch — a division
  10. ground — crushed
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — a container
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. board — to get on
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rule — a law
  24. nail — on a finger

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