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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rule — a law
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wind — moving air
  7. spring — of water
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. spring — a coil
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. tube — a container
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spring — the season
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lie — an untruth

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