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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — a coil
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pass — a permit
  7. scale — size or range
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lie — to recline
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pass — to spend time

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