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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wake — a trail
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rule — a law
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rule — government
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lean — thin
  18. fork — in a road
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. chip — in a computer

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