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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rule — government
  7. bat — the animal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. last — to go on
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. last — finally
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. last — final
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rule — a law
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. ruler — for measuring

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