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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. fall — to drop
  8. staff — employees
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. staff — employees
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fall — the season
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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