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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. land — a country
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rule — government
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rule — a law
  13. rest — a break
  14. land — ground
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. degree — from a university
  20. land — to come down
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — goods

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