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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. current — of water
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. toast — bread
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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