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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rule — a law
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. present — there
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. present — a gift
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rule — government
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. season — of the year
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. present — the time now
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wax — to grow
  24. perch — for a bird

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