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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wake — a trail
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rule — government
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bank — of a river
  14. shower — to wash
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. rule — a law
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wound — an injury

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