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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rule — government
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stock — shares
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. shower — rain
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cap — a hat
  15. race — a contest
  16. rule — a law
  17. stock — goods
  18. cap — a lid
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. race — humankind

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