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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. squash — to crush
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. land — a country
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. land — ground

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