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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. fine — all right
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. firm — decided
  12. fine — high quality
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rule — government
  24. fine — a penalty

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