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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. land — to come down
  6. rule — government
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cue — a hint
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cue — a signal
  12. season — in sport
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lean — thin
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. cue — for pool
  20. season — of the year
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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