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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wake — a trail
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bore — to tire
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. scale — in music
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bore — to drill
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rule — government
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fork — in a road
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rule — a law
  24. bore — gave birth

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