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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. lean — thin
  6. ball — a great time
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. row — to paddle
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ball — a dance
  14. season — of the year
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — to bend
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fall — to drop
  21. key — in music
  22. rule — a law
  23. fall — the season
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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