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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cell — in biology
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rule — government
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mug — a face
  12. chair — a leader
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. last — final
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rule — a law
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mug — to rob
  22. last — to go on
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. last — finally

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