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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. board — to get on
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stock — goods
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. rule — government
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rule — a law
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — a committee
  22. stock — shares
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. clip — to cut

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