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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rule — a law
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. race — the arms race
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. race — a contest
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. race — humankind
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. charge — electricity
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. charge — a price
  21. lean — thin
  22. charge — in control
  23. mine — for digging
  24. foot — part of the body

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