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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. current — happening now
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. current — of water
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. row — a line
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cold — an illness
  15. wake — a trail
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rush — hurry
  22. current — electric
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rule — government

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