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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — a grade
  3. season — of the year
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ground — a position
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rule — a law
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rule — government
  17. snap — to click
  18. season — in sport
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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