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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. land — ground
  3. last — final
  4. band — a music group
  5. last — finally
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. land — a country
  10. club — a group
  11. rush — hurry
  12. club — for dancing
  13. last — to go on
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. club — for golf
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — to come down

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