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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fall — the season
  5. object — a thing
  6. wound — an injury
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. object — an aim
  10. wound — an injury
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. object — to protest
  16. cell — in biology
  17. plane — a tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rule — a law
  21. fall — to drop
  22. band — a music group
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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