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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pass — a permit
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — for sport
  7. bank — of a river
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. court — of law
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rule — a law
  15. bank — for money
  16. court — of a king
  17. tube — a container
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rule — government
  24. perch — for a bird

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