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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. present — a gift
  4. stand — to bear
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. scale — in music
  7. cell — in biology
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rule — a law
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. land — ground
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rule — government
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. land — a country

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