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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fine — all right
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rule — a law
  13. track — a song
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rule — government
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. track — to keep track
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — a position
  21. track — a path
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cabinet — ministers

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