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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rule — government
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. season — of the year
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bound — obliged
  21. dip — to sink
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — certain
  24. dip — a sauce

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