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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. rule — government
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. cold — an illness
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stem — to come from
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rule — a law
  22. fine — all right
  23. staff — employees
  24. rush — hurry

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