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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. mug — a face
  2. track — a song
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mug — to rob
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. track — to keep track
  9. vault — a safe
  10. file — a tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. mug — a cup
  13. file — a line of people
  14. track — a path
  15. rule — a law
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. file — a document
  19. object — a thing
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pitch — completely
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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