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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rest — what's left
  3. race — a contest
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. perch — the fish
  7. race — humankind
  8. wake — a trail
  9. chip — to eat
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — a break
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. deal — to handle
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rule — a law
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. race — the arms race
  24. rule — to rule out

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