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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. club — for dancing
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rock — music
  17. rule — a law
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rest — a break
  21. rock — a stone
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rule — to rule out

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