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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. tear — from crying
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. hand — help
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. current — electric
  11. rule — a law
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. current — happening now
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rock — a stone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. current — of water
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. tear — to rip
  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