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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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. firm — decided
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. degree — temperature
  6. present — the time now
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. present — there
  10. degree — an amount
  11. firm — a company
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rest — a break
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rule — government
  20. present — a gift
  21. rule — a law
  22. rest — what's left
  23. firm — steady
  24. leaves — to go away

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