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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rule — a law
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rule — government
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bore — to tire
  12. squash — the sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mark — a trace
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fall — the season
  17. bore — to drill
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. prune — to trim
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ruler — for measuring

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