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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rash — hasty
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rule — government
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rule — a law
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spring — the season
  15. file — a document
  16. toast — bread
  17. rash — a series
  18. lie — to recline
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spring — a coil
  22. file — a tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rash — on the skin

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