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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rule — government
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rule — a law
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. scale — in music
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — an illness
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cold — not warm
  23. leaves — to go away
  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