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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stock — goods
  7. rule — government
  8. swing — to play on
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mate — to breed
  13. swing — music
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. mug — a face
  20. swing — in golf
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mug — a cup
  24. leaves — to go away

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