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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. track — a path
  2. rule — a law
  3. track — a song
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rule — government
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. spring — a coil
  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