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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. race — humankind
  9. rule — government
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rule — a law
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — a contest
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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