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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rule — government
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rule — a law
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fine — all right
  13. mate — a friend
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fine — high quality
  19. hand — help
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. hand — in cards
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. chair — a leader

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