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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spell — letters
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rule — government
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. chip — to eat
  18. vault — a safe
  19. degree — temperature
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fine — all right

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