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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She's very handy 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. saw — the tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rule — a law
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. tear — from crying
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — part of the head
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rule — government
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. face — to confront
  16. season — of the year
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. tear — to rip
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. season — in sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — to point toward
  23. saw — the 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