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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. staff — employees
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. staff — a stick
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rule — a law
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. club — a group
  13. pit — a hole
  14. club — for dancing
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wax — to grow
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. perch — the fish
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. staff — employees
  22. club — for golf
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pit — in a race

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