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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. scale — size or range
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. current — of water
  7. last — finally
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. land — to come down
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. scale — in music
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rule — government
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. land — a country
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. land — ground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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