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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. spell — letters
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. shower — rain
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. spring — of water
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spell — magic
  16. spring — a coil
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rule — a law
  21. spring — the season
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rush — hurry
  24. leaves — lets stay

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