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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. object — a thing
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rule — a law
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. root — of a word
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. object — to protest
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. rule — government
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. root — the cause
  19. object — an aim
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mug — a face
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cold — not warm
  24. mug — to rob

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