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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rule — government
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kick — in football
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. hand — help
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — a grade
  15. fall — to drop
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rule — a law
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. hand — part of the body

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