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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. snap — to click
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. drill — the tool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rule — a law
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. capital — money
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rule — government
  22. capital — a city
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mate — a partner

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