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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pit — a hole
  8. season — of the year
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lean — thin
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rule — a law
  15. last — final
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pit — in a race
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. season — in sport

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