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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. suit — clothes
  4. tear — from crying
  5. suit — in cards
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rule — a law
  8. rash — a series
  9. charge — a price
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rule — government
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. charge — in control
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. tear — to rip

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