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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rule — government
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rule — a law
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mine — for digging

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