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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stand — to bear
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bore — to drill
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. rule — government
  24. foot — part of the body

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