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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rule — government
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. prune — to trim
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. tear — from crying
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rule — a law
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. tear — from crying
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. saw — the tool

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