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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rule — government
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rule — a law
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mate — to breed
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. shower — rain
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pop — soda
  24. nail — on a finger

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