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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. shower — rain
  3. bore — to drill
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. land — ground
  7. rule — government
  8. club — a group
  9. land — a country
  10. rule — a law
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. shower — to wash
  17. land — to come down
  18. club — for golf
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pass — a permit

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