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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — hasty
  6. track — a path
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rule — a law
  9. track — a song
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rule — government
  12. rash — a series
  13. can — a tin
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. leaves — of a tree

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