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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rule — a law
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mate — to breed
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. season — in sport
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rule — government
  12. mate — a partner
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. rush — hurry
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. season — of the year

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