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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — a partner
  6. ground — crushed
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mate — a friend
  9. ground — a position
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rule — a law
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mate — to breed
  20. swing — music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rule — government
  24. bank — for money

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