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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rule — a law
  3. firm — decided
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. scale — size or range
  6. band — a ring
  7. firm — steady
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pop — to visit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. pop — soda
  16. bore — to drill
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. band — a music group
  20. rule — government
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. scale — in music
  23. firm — a company
  24. pop — music

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