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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 124 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rash — a series
  4. kick — in football
  5. mate — a partner
  6. club — a group
  7. mate — to breed
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. march — music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. club — for golf
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. march — the month
  19. rule — a law
  20. march — the month
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. club — for dancing

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