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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wake — a trail
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. march — music
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rule — a law
  10. march — the month
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. staff — a stick
  15. chip — for betting
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — employees
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rule — government
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. staff — employees
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. kid — child

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