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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rule — a law
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. band — a music group
  6. mug — a face
  7. rule — government
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rash — hasty
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rash — a series
  16. board — a committee
  17. root — of a plant
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. root — of a word
  20. mug — to rob
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. board — to get on
  23. root — the cause
  24. band — a ring

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