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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. land — to come down
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rule — government
  6. land — a country
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rule — a law
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. staff — employees
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. land — ground
  16. deal — to handle
  17. suit — in cards
  18. staff — employees
  19. suit — to fit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wake — a trail
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. leaves — of a tree

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