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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fork — in a road
  4. band — a music group
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. season — in sport
  7. rule — government
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. land — to come down
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. season — of the year
  15. rest — a break
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rest — what's left
  18. land — ground
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rule — a law
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. land — a country
  24. band — a ring

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