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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 120 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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rule — a law
  13. wound — an injury
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rule — government
  18. rest — a break
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fine — all right
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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