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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rule — a law
  3. staff — employees
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mate — a partner
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mate — to breed
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. staff — employees
  16. rule — government
  17. can — a tin
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. march — music
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mate — a friend
  23. staff — a stick
  24. can — a tin

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