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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fall — the season
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. rule — government
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cell — a phone
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pop — to visit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rule — a law

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