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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wake — a trail
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. track — a path
  5. present — there
  6. pit — a hole
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wind — moving air
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. present — a gift
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. track — a song
  22. present — the time now
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. track — to keep track

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