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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rule — a law
  3. snap — to click
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rule — government
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. shower — rain
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. net — in sport
  24. pass — to succeed

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