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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rule — to rule out

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