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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. 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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rush — hurry
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rule — government
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. date — the fruit
  14. charge — a price
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — in control
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. swing — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rule — a law
  24. 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