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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rule — a law
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rest — what's left
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. board — to get on
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bore — to drill
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. board — a committee
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. kick — in football
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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