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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. mate — a friend
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mate — to breed
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rule — government
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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