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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. land — to come down
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. track — a path
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. track — a song
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. capital — money
  15. fall — to drop
  16. land — a country
  17. fall — the season
  18. capital — a city
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — ground
  23. track — to keep track
  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