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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. swing — to play on
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. swing — in golf
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. scale — size or range
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. prune — to trim
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. scale — in music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rock — music
  20. kick — in football
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. swing — music
  24. rock — a stone

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