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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rule — government
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. scale — in music
  5. bound — obliged
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bound — certain
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rule — a law
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. leaves — of a tree

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