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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cue — for pool
  4. object — an aim
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rule — government
  7. object — to protest
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cold — not warm
  10. key — in music
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. land — to come down
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rule — a law
  22. cue — a signal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stem — of a plant

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