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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. court — of a king
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rule — government
  9. prune — to trim
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. last — final
  12. court — of law
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rush — hurry
  15. court — for sport
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. last — to go on
  18. file — a document
  19. last — finally
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rule — a law
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. file — a tool
  24. prune — to trim

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